Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Lemon Couscous

A fragrant and tender chicken tagine, slow-simmered with apricots, zucchini, and aromatic Moroccan spices, served over fluffy lemon-herb couscous for a complete and vibrant meal.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 35 min
• Total: 55 min
• Servings: 2
• Cuisine: African
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $6.40/serving

Dietary

• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• comfort food
• fresh
• savory
• slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounce chicken thigh (boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 yellow onion (medium, chopped)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
• 1.5 teaspoon ras el hanout
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cinnamon stick (small)
• 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 0.75 cup chicken broth
• 0.5 cup dried apricots (halved)
• 1 zucchini (medium, chopped into 0.5-inch pieces)
• 0.75 cup couscous (dry)
• 1 cup hot water (hot)
• 0.5 lemon (juiced and zested)
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 0.5 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Add chopped yellow onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, Ras el Hanout, ground cumin, and cinnamon stick. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Pour in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and dried apricots. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pot.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Stir in the chopped zucchini and continue to simmer for another 5-7 minutes, or until zucchini is tender-crisp.
6. While the tagine simmers, prepare the couscous. In a medium bowl, combine dry couscous with 1 cup hot water, a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
7. Stir chopped fresh parsley and cilantro into the tagine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
8. Serve the Moroccan Chicken Tagine immediately over the lemon-herb couscous.

Notes

If you don't have Ras el Hanout, you can make a substitute with a blend of ground ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, and allspice.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 741
• Protein: 42 g
• Carbohydrates: 88.7 g
• Fat: 20.5 g
• Fiber: 11.2 g
• Sodium: 1085 mg
• Saturated Fat: 4.7 g
• Sugar: 27 g
• Cholesterol: 150 mg